working title: Midori
by calen.kun
Summary: In which Yuki fancies himself an island, Tohma makes all the rules, and Suguru has issues. Some language, and the promise of gay. Eventually.
1. Not Waving

1. I was much too far out all my life, not waving but drowning.

They all said he was dead inside.

No, indeed, though it wasn't for lack of trying. Still, it certainly wasn't a misinterpretation he intended to fix. Emotionless, cold, hard; when they thought you didn't care it was easier to convince yourself that you really didn't.

It was highly unfortunate, then, the day the pink haired moron bounded into his life. Eiri put on the air of one long-suffering, and in fact it was not possible to tolerate Shuuichi without suspending all natural impatience. For all his show, however, Eiri knew Shuuichi had to be the more patient of the two, without a doubt was the more forgiving.

Sometimes Eiri wondered why Shuuichi put up with him.

Here I am, cold-hearted bastard, as advertised.

Eiri never realized how clearly Shuuichi saw through the cracks in his armor; couldn't, wouldn't acknowledge how much he felt. Eventually he stopped caring _why_ Shuuichi stuck around and allowed himself to be glad that the little idiot chose to stay.

And so, despite zero change in his exterior demeanor, Yuki Eiri lost his reputation as frosty, unapproachable, alone-but-not-lonely solitary wolf.

This did not explain why Tohma was at his door, asking if Eiri would help his cousin Suguru with "matters of the heart" (Tohma always did have a knack for obnoxiously trite phrasing). Suguru looked decidedly disgruntled, and, Eiri thought, justifiably so.

"I realize that you aren't exactly a leading expert in the field of romance, Tohma, but surely you must remember that I _write_ sap, not practice it."

Eiri decided that he hated Tohma and his unflappable grin. So brusque a manner should have been off-putting to anyone, but Tohma pressed on as though Eiri had gladly volunteered his services.

"Oh, I knew you'd understand his plight, Eiri. You two aren't really so different--" This was, of course, completely untrue, Eiri mused as he tuned out Tohma's self-important prattle. Fujisaki resembled his cousin, but to lesser extremes of manipulative and controlling. For this reason, Eiri wanted nothing to do with Fujisaki; one Tohma was enough. On the other hand, his interference could spare the world the development of another Tohma. Eiri knew his decision was made. "…-ka insisted that my brand of counsel would be unhealthy, but I couldn't very well leave my cousin to his own sad devices, could I? Who else would I turn to to guide young Suguru here--"

"Fine." Eiri didn't so much answer as growl. "If it gets you out of my doorway, I'll take on your project." The green haired boy at Tohma's side bristled visibly, but he remained silent. Tohma's smile turned up a notch, clearly projecting that he knew exactly which buttons to push to get his way. Not for the first time, Eiri felt as though he'd been had.

That Tohma nanced off alone, leaving Eiri with one very surly Fujisaki, was a fitting ending to the beginning of what Eiri knew would be a disastrous day.

tsuzuku...

* * *

a/n:

-Gravitation is Murakami Maki's. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

-Chapter title courtesy of Stevie Smith's poem, _Not Waving But Drowning_, which has long been a favorite of mine

-Apologies to anyone who actually likes Seguchi Tohma. He's not a very likeable character, though I think his ego may be a bit overblown here.

-For whatever reason, it seems that all my writing happens at four in the a.m. I'm attempting a multi-chaptered thing because my sister complains that oneshots are not good enough. Yoroshiku ne. Ganbattemashou.


	2. I Get This Little Tiny Migraine

2. I get this little tiny migraine / It starts behind my eyes

-Nope, I'm still not a Japanese manga-ka, still no claim to Gravitation.  
-The sister says that I should just insert the appropriate characters' names into some cliche formula; I think that's too boring. That's not to say anything actually happens in this (really short) chapter.  
-Chp title: lyrics lifted from Jim's Big Ego (Stress)  
-For K-K: this is most determinedly not Yuki/Fujisaki. I'm sad that it wasn't obvious after pt1. So please continue reading! -is a feedback whore-  
TEzUkA 4 EvAr!111!11: (laughs) I love you. Thanks for putting up with the Tohma abuse. I'll try to keep it to a minimum, just for you.

* * *

Bad Luck had always been just Hiro and himself, and Shuuichi liked it that way. But one didn't protest (much) when the great Seguchi Tohma spoke, and so their duo became a trio. And while Shuuichi would grudgingly admit that Fujisaki's arrangements and talent on keyboard were amazing, that Tohma was right, it didn't mean he had to like the kid. Pissy, impatient, work-a-holic with no sense of humor who refused to understand the gamut of emotions through which Eiri put Shuuichi. 

Shuuichi was about as thrilled as Eiri to find his bandmate standing in the foyer.

But if the look on Fujisaki's face was any indication, he was possibly even _less_ enthusiastic about the arrangement.

One hand to his forehead attempting to stave off an impending headache, Eiri sighed and thought it best to get on with it. Tohma had been a bit sketchy on the details, vague in that he didn't actually provide any details at all. Or maybe he had during the time Eiri had tuned out Tohma for his own internal monologue.

"All right then. What's your problem?" Tact had never been one of Eiri's finer points. Shuuichi shot his partner a mild glare, but Fujisaki didn't seem to notice Eiri's rudeness.

"My _problem_," Fujisaki retorted, irritation evident in both his posture and tone, "is simply that my cousin can not stand for anything to escape his control."

Eiri almost grinned. "Yes, I believe all three of us can agree on that much. Let me be more specific. What sad, lonely, dramatic tale of woe brings you seeking my advice on-" he searched for the words, any words would do better than Tohma's. Alas, it was early and without caffeine Eiri's wit failed him. "…'matters of the heart,' for lack of a better phrase."

Fujisaki rolled his eyes, but was cut off before he could respond. Shuuichi sped across the short distance between the two, eyes sparkling, and clasped Fujisaki's hands in his own. Suguru thought he could see little hearts radiating from Shuuichi, who very nearly squealed "Waaaii, you're in looove! That's wonderful! If you're lucky, you'll be half as happy as me and Yuki!"

Fujisaki extracted himself and snorted disdainfully. "I most certainly am not. It's just because you and Hiro and everyone else at NG paired off that Tohma thinks I feel left out. It's my opinion that he isn't nearly so perceptive as he likes to think."

The infuriating thing is, though, Eiri thought, Tohma _does _know everything.

Shuuichi spun about the hall and into the next room, doing his best impersonation of the spastic overly excitable whirlwind they called 'Sakano.' "Who is she? Anyone we know? Maybe Noriko-san? Tatsuki-chan from recording? Ooh or who is he? I know you and K have ridiculous work ethics, but you have nothing else in common. But I guess neither do Yuki and I. At first glance, I mean." He only stopped for breath, and to giggle helplessly (did he really have to do this _every_ time he thought about their relationship?). Eiri couldn't decide if it was annoying or endearing, Shuuichi's mindless chatter. Fujisaki wanted very much to knock himself unconscious against the nearest blunt object.

"I know!" Shuuichi announced. "We'll make a list." Eiri raised his eyebrows.

"That seems a bit too organized for you, brat."

Shuuichi stuck out his tongue. "Okay, it's decided!" He was unfazed by the look of exasperation on Fujisaki's face; Shuuichi considered it his normal expression. At least, it was the only face he wore at work.

"Number one. Boys or girls?"

Fujisaki's cheeks burned faintly pink before he dropped onto the nearest furniture and buried his face in his hands, convinced that this was Tohma's first Very Bad Idea.

…tsuzuku….


	3. He's just a young boy

3. He's just a young boy lookin' for a way to find love / it isn't easy, nothing you can say will help him find love 

It wasn't the first time Fujisaki had stormed out of a studio session; after all, Shuuichi could be positively impossible when the mood struck him. What Hiro didn't understand, though, was how Yuki fit into Fujisaki's love life. Yuki, that damned Yuki was the source of all Shuuichi's major mood swings (well, perhaps that was putting too much blame on him; Shuuichi did tend to cry at Hallmark commercials and giggle the next second). So when Shuuichi had floated into NG that morning, Hiro just knew it was some love-love thing with Yuki. But instead of his usual bouncing off the walls with uncontainable glee, Shuuichi set to needling Fujisaki about "his type."

No one had really been surprised when Fujisaki stood abruptly, a vein in his left temple pulsing, and declared that he could _not_ work under these conditions and when they decided to be serious he'd be back.

"Ahhh mou!" Shuuichi pouted. "He's so difficult. I'm only trying to help!"

Hiro couldn't keep his expression neutral and, eyebrows raised, asked, "in exactly what way was _that_ helping?"

"Isn't it obvious, Hiro? Our little prodigy is in love! But he's shy about it, and that has to be frustrating, and that's why he snaps so easily. I only want everyone to be as happy as me and Yu-"

"Yeah, yeah." Hiro rolled his eyes. "Well, you're going about it the wrong way. There's no way he'll just open up to you. Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve, Shuuichi. For some people emotions are personal and therefore private. Just… calm down a bit and don't pressure him so much."

"But but but Hiiiiro! How can I help if I don't even know who it is?" Shuuichi cried. "And how will I know who it is if he won't tell me?"

With a small sigh and his trademark good-natured smile, Hiro answered, "Don't worry about it. I think you'll be helping more if you let him sort things out for himself. Come on, let's get lunch. I'm buying." It was always an effective way to shut Shuuichi up, but Hiro wondered why it was _always_ him who paid. Probably because it was an easy way to distract Shuuichi from the crisis of the moment.

Hiro very nearly snorted soda through his nose when Shuuichi related the whole story over cheap burgers and limp fries. "Tohma, Seguchi Tohma, dragged Fujisaki to _Yuki Eiri_ for relationship advice?"

"Hey! Don't say mean things about Yuki!" Shuuichi always leapt to Eiri's defense, even though after so long he knew there was no heat in Hiro's words.

"You're missing the point. Seguchi's meddling is almost without exception related to Yuki, Yuki's happiness, Yuki's health. He leaves the rest of us to puzzle out our lives as best we can. It's weird."

Shuuichi shrugged. "Well, they are family."

The bizarre nature of the entire situation left Hiro not entirely convinced. But he had a date with Ayaka later for which he needed to prepare and therefore had no more time to discuss Tohma's ever-elusive motives. "Maybe so. I've gotta go, but I'll say this: whatever his reasons were, he asked _Yuki_, not you. Try not to piss off Fujisaki, Seguchi doesn't pull any punches when he doesn't like the way things are going."

A few short miles away, Tohma sneezed once and wondered who was talking about him.

Several floors below, Suguru was working out his frustrations. Normally, practice or composition was satisfying, but today nothing seemed to work. He was really pissed this time, not just temporarily annoyed by Bad Luck's childish antics. Stupid Tohma, who did he think he was? Stupid Yuki - maybe not Yuki; he at least recognized the absurdity of this arrangement. But stupid Shuuichi! Sixteen was still young, wasn't it? What was everyone's rush? Surely they didn't actually think that he was desperately lonely and drowning in unrequited feelings.

_Feelings_. Emotion was not something that needed to be forced. Beyond a passion for improving his musical abilities, Suguru didn't feel a particular need for intense feelings. Tohma should know that, he did a very good impression of having no feelings. Furthermore, Tohma should realize that allowing yourself to depend on someone else for your happiness is a recipe for heartbreak - and Suguru had no intention of _pining_.

It wasn't as if he'd emotionally isolated himself, it was just that his goals were different and so required a different sort of effort. And he hadn't been lying when he said there wasn't anyone and that he wasn't looking. How was that unacceptable? Shouldn't the adult figures be thrilled that he had little-to-no interest in experimenting, rather than actively _encouraging_ it? He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. This was pointless and music wasn't helping. He might as well go home.

Suguru turned out the light and closed the door to the practice room after exiting. Someone else was playing; the notes could be heard clearly throughout the hall though the rooms were meant to be nearly sound-proof.

_Must have left the door open_, Suguru thought as he walked toward the sound. Each note was well-struck and pure. Suguru thought it a bit odd that someone would be playing an actual piano at NG rather than a keyboard. He'd always preferred the piano, he loved the sound, but the demand for synth players was higher and it had been hard enough to convince his parents that there was a career for him in popular music. He listened appreciatively to the ringing clarity, the wistful tone; it was unpolished and completely unfit for release by any musician NG employed. It was beautiful.

It was the kind of music that must have meant something to its composer, and Suguru felt as though he were intruding on some personal experience.

He'd expected that the pianist must not have pulled the door closed properly, but before reaching the little room it became apparent that the door had been left fully ajar. He stuck his head in, and started, "Ah, excuse me, you left the door open. Would you like it closed?"

Tohma turned around a little too quickly, surprised that there was anyone else on the floor at such a late hour. He recovered almost instantly and schooled his expression into the familiar half-smile he wore when dealing with exasperating employees. "No. Thank you Suguru, I'm finished for today. It's late, you should be getting home. Why don't you call a cab?"

Suguru scowled, momentary reprieve ended. He was still angry, damn it, and Tohma continued to treat him like a child. "I'm sixteen, Tohma. I think I can see myself safely home." He didn't wait for a response before turning on his heel and headed to the exit in a strop. _Well, that was mature. I sure showed him._

At least that horrible day was finally over.

* * *

Behold, for this chapter is longer than the previous two combined.  
Paul McCartney is a brilliant lyricist/musician. I'm really not worthy of using his song.  
Dedication/blame to Jill, without whom this thing would have died long ago. LOOK JILL. TOHMA.  
I have no problem cranking out shit, so long as it's amusing. This, this is not amusing. In fact, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but ya' know. I'm sick of messing with it. Concrit, if you'd be so kind. 


End file.
